


The Novice AU

by LadyLiesbeth



Category: Black Magician Trilogy - Trudi Canavan
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:08:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27353989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLiesbeth/pseuds/LadyLiesbeth
Summary: What if Lorlen decided to trust his friend and to tell him that he knew about his use of black magic? What if the High Lord had taken Sonea from the very beginning as his novice?
Relationships: Akkarin/Sonea (Black Magician Trilogy), Dannyl/Tayend (Black Magician Trilogy)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Hello, this is a small side project I am currently working on to improve my English skills a little bit. So I am really sorry if there are some grammar mistakes. It can also happen that the chapters don't come very regularly because I don't really have enough time to write down all the stories in my head. But now have fun!  
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It was a quiet night when Lorlen, driven by his own thoughts, entered the roof of the university. It had been half a year since he had seen in Sonea's mind how his best friend used black magic. Since that hearing, the memory had always been in a corner of his mind, lurking whenever he had some time. Why, by the eye, had his best friend learned black magic? Why did he practice it on the guild grounds? And why did Lorlen have to learn it from the girl's mind? Lorlen wished for nothing more than to forget all this and return to his old friendship with Akkarin

He sighed. Half a year ago he had been very frightened and angry, and he had thought about strategies to defeat the High Lord. At the same time he had felt that someone had torn the ground from under his feet. Did he even know Akkarin? But it had been the first shock that had made him think that way, and now he wasn't really sure if it was necessary to act that way. Akkarin was already high lord, he was already the most powerful man in the guild and most importantly: he had never acted against the guild before. In fact, he was quite a good High Lord, who had a good bond with the court and was wise in his judgement within the guild. And although Lorlen had retreated from him, Akkarin had remained a friend to him.

And then there was the old friendship between Lorlen and Akkarin. They had been friends since their noviciate days, and Lorlen just couldn't imagine that the man he knew would do something so bad without good reason. Yes, Akkarin had never been a law-abiding person, but he had never overdone it, even in their early days. But was Akkarin still the man he had once known so well? Lorlen could not deny that he had changed since he had returned from his travels.

Lorlen sighed again. He was not really sure of his own thoughts. Black magic was really bad and there was a reason it was forbidden. But deep inside, the administrator knew it was like any weapon: it was neither good nor bad. It was only a tool, and its use lay with the man who used it. This brought him back to all his questions and to the man who could answer them all. If he could bring himself to ask questions and if his best friend was ready to answer him.

Lorlen suddenly flinched when he heard the voice of the man he had avoided so much since the hearing. He had not noticed his arrival, lost in his own thoughts.

"I knew I would find you here. Why are you so worried my friend? Is our family not well?"

It was only a few seconds before Lorlen decided to trust his former best friend. In the end, everything in him had longed for everything to go back to the way it was before, but he had to take the first step to do so. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Maybe they are not well," Lorlen replied without looking at the High Lord. He knew his courage would have disappeared under the piercing gaze of his best friend.

"Perhaps I can help you in this matter?"

Lorlen smiled. "Actually, you're the only one who can do that," he said. The High Lord remained silent and waited patiently for Lorlen's explanation. The man dressed in blue took a moment to find the right words to give enough information, but also to withhold the fact that he was not the only one who knew his best friend's little secret.

"I've seen you practising black magic," he finally managed to say and looked up at his best friend, who apparently remained untouched. He stood leaning against the parapet, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his gaze fixed on Lorlen. Uneasily, the administrator stepped from one foot to the other.

"This is a really serious accusation, Lorlen," he said, his voice low, as if talking to a child.

"I know"

The two men stood there in the middle of the night on the roof of the university, staring at each other and trying to figure out their next steps. It was Lorlen who finally made a decision.

"I saw you with Takan in your basement room taking his power."

"That must have been a while ago," Akkarin replied thoughtfully. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I had to think about things," Lorlen tried to smile, but failed miserably. "You can imagine that it was quite a shock to see you do such a thing.

The High Lord frowned. "How did you see it?" he asked. Lorlen had the feeling that something had gone terribly wrong without knowing why.

"I wanted to see you and I looked for you. As there was no one in the guest room, I decided to look for Takan and entered the staircase. When I saw you taking away his powers, I hurried away," Lorlen explained, hoping that Akkarin would believe his lies.

The mage, dressed in black, turned around abruptly and now watched the deserted guild grounds.

"Why are you lying to me, my friend," he asked in a low voice with a hint of reproach. "If you had been there, I would have sensed you. Well, actually I did feel something a while ago, but it wasn't you." It seemed as if the High Lord was speaking to himself, trying to find out something. He shook his head and turned back to Lorlen with one of his piercing looks that felt as if it exposed Lorlen's soul. "So what have you been keeping from me, my friend?"

Lorlen could no longer bear the looks of his best friend and turned away to calm the maelstrom of anger and worry in his head. He should not have said anything. He should have kept it to himself and kept looking for a solution

"Don't force me to read your superficial thoughts, Lorlen," Akkarin warned him. Lorlen shook his head, angry at himself. He should have known better.

"Do you remember Sonea's hearing?" Lorlen asked, feeling guilty about exposing her role in this matter and putting her at risk. In the end, he did not know how Akkarin would react to protect his secret, and she was just a little girl with a lot of power. An easy victim, if you like.

"I understand. Well, that brings some pieces of the puzzle together," muttered Akkarin. "Does anyone else know?"

"Sonea asked permission to tell her mentor. I gave it to her. Probably he would have found out during an exercise anyway.

Akkarin sighed. "You should have spoken to me sooner, Lorlen. Well, we can't change things, I have to make the best of it. Actually, I'm glad you trust me enough not to openly accuse me," the High Lord rubbed his face in a tired gesture. "Will you allow me to read your thoughts? I must be sure that you won't tell the other magicians about it."

"No, I will not allow that," Lorlens replied gruffly. He was annoyed at his friend's lack of trust in him and at his request. He really loved Akkarin, but there were limits. A mind-reading was an invasion of his privacy in a very intimate way. Once upon a time, Lorlen might not have minded, but they were no longer the novices of that time.

"I don't like it either, but this is not some kind of nonsense. This is a really serious matter".

"It is. And I think you owe me an explanation," blurts it out of Lorlen. "I can't imagine you're doing this without a good reason, but I must know your motives, Akkarin"

A long silence lay between these two men, witnessed by the full moon that bathed the scene in a flat light. It was Akkarin who finally broke the silence, his face the same distant mask he always wore.

"I will tell you what you need to know if you allow me to do the truth reading," he offered to his friend. Lorlen knew this was his only chance to at least learn about his best friend's reasons, so he decided to accept the offer, hoping he would not regret it.

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Hope you enjoyed reading. I would be glad to hear your opinion about it.


	2. Chapter 2

Lorlen closed his eyes as he listened to Rector Jerrik's ritual question: "Do you wish to elect a novice, High Lord?

He suppressed the desire to give Sonea a look. He had not seen her since his conversation with the High Lord on the roof, but he knew that Akkarin had visited her and Rothen, so he decided to take her as his novice to ensure her silence and Rothens. Lorlen had insulted him as a heartless bastard when he learned of this. She had just managed to stop being so afraid of the guild, and now he took her hostage. She and Rothen had both looked pale when they entered the Guild Hall for the ceremony this morning, making Lorlen feel guilty about his decision to trust Akkarin.

Well, at least he had been right about one thing: there was a reason for the black magic thing. If Akkarin hadn't told him mind to mind, Lorlen wouldn't have believed his best friend. It was really frightening what he had learned: there were black magicians in Sachaka who sent assassins to test the guild's strength, and Akkarin fought against them. There were so many questions he had about these people, but Akkarin was not willing to tell him more about this matter.

"Yes, Principal Jerrik. I will take Sonea as my novice," Akkarin's deep voice interrupted Lorlen's thoughts. A shiver ran down his spine and he could no longer resist the urge to watch Sonea when he heard the angry murmur that rolled through the hall. The girl's posture was tense, her chin proudly raised. Lorlen felt very sorry for her and noticed the looks she received from her classmates. Her background was enough to make her an outsider, but being the High Lord's favourite would certainly make her lonely. Silently, Lorlen cursed his friend for behaving like that. At the same time he couldn't help blaming himself, after all he had put her in this situation in the first place.

"Poor girl. Did you know about this?" asked Vinara Lorlen. He turned his attention to the Higher Magicians around him, who looked at him with expectant looks.

"Yes, he told me about it," he replied succinctly. He didn't really feel like talking about it, but he couldn't get around it.

"Why her? He hasn't been interested in a novice for the last five years. And he hadn't been interested in her since Lord Rothen had found her," Balkan asked.

"She is quite strong, and he fears that she will not get the education she deserves from her teachers because she is out of the huts," replied Lorlen. He had asked Akkarin what to tell the Higher Magicians about it, but he had only smiled and said that he trusted Lorlen to give the right answer. The administrator hoped he had said the right thing.

"It would have been better if she had refused the offer made to her," Lord Sarrin said, "She did not deserve to be the High Lord's favourite".

"Who deserves or does not deserve his attention is a matter for the High Lord," Vinara snapped back. "Rothen told me that she had decided to stay to become a healer. Perhaps her character is not so bad after all. And now we should give our attention to the ceremony".

Nobody dared to say any more, but Lorlen could clearly see that this would be a matter for later. He sighed. Of course it would be him who would clean up the chaos that Akkarin had left behind. That had always been the case. Well, after all, it was a bit of his own chaos too this time.

The rest of the ceremony went unnoticed by Lorlen, who was again deeply lost in thought, trying to figure out how things would go on from here. It was clear he needed to know more about the Sachaka matter in order to understand it. For the moment he was sure that Akkarin had no intention of harming the guild or hurting innocent people. He had made a vow while their minds were connected, but Lorlen wanted to understand the whole story. Perhaps it was about his journey, he thought. It would make sense. He never believed that he was meditating in the mountains. Something had happened to him and I will find out, he decided, while looking at Akkarin from the corners of his eyes. The High Lord sat there as if the whole thing did not concern him.

When the ceremony finally was over Akkarin disappeared with his novice very fast. Lorlen tried to follow him, but he wasn't as lucky as the High Lord.

"She didn't look very pleased with the honour she was receiving," said someone next to him. "Didn't she, Administrator?" He managed to smile a little. His aunt had never been a nice person and had always judged people easily.

"She does not belong to the houses, the guild was all her life a tool of undeserved punishment. The guild leader must be a really scary man for her," he replied.

"They should have blocked her powers and sent her back to her thieving friends," the woman replied. Lorlen sighed. She wasn't the only one who thought that way, Fergun was the best example.

"It is not for us to question the king's offers," he managed to say in a calm voice. "If you'll excuse me, dear aunt, I have quite a lot to attend to.

"Of course Lorlen," she said, and he took the opportunity to leave the guild hall, this time quickly enough.

Akkarin cursed the circumstances in which he found himself while he silently watched the young woman next to him from the corners of his eyes. Her hair had grown a little, he noticed, and now formed small curls instead of the short hair she had worn when she arrived at the guild grounds six months ago. When he had predicted that she would be a troublemaker, he had not meant it that way. But there she was, his unwanted novice, with a grim expression and open hatred in her dark eyes, walking beside him to her new home. He himself was at least as unhappy that she would now live with him. He didn't need a young woman in his residence skulking around and disturbing him.

Well, in the end, she is strong, intelligent and has her own strong sense of honour, he thought and reached for the front door with his magic. And she really likes to learn, so hopefully I didn't have to worry too much about her studies. Even if he detested himself for it, it had been immensely helpful to read her and Rothen's thoughts. At least for the time being, he could be sure of both their secrecy without having to reveal too much to them unnecessarily. The more people knew about the spies, the more likely it was that the whole guild would find out. It was better to take Sonea as his hostage and leave them both in the dark about his true motives. With Lorlen's complicity, the risk had already risen to unimaginable heights, not to mention the fact that Akkarin was certain that the issue was not yet settled for the administrator.

"Upstairs there is a room for a novice that Takan will show you. You will have your own servant Viola, she will be here in half an hour with your belongings. I expect you to behave like the High Lord's novice and study diligently and behave well and not cause me too much trouble. Tell me if you need anything for your lessons," he finally explained to her and did not expect an answer.

"I understand, High Lord", she managed to say in a low voice. He tried to find out what her undertone was, but he failed.

"You are excused," he sent her away. She bowed stiffly and followed his servant through the left door to the second floor. He concentrated on Takan's blood jewel and watched as his faithful servant showed Sonea her room and politely asked her if she needed anything else. She denied and Takan left her. Akkarin could clearly feel his servant's pity for the girl.  
He sighed and poured himself a glass of wine, even though he knew that this would not make things better. But he had the feeling that he needed some wine right now to be able to think properly. There was a lot of work waiting for him in his library, besides, some more murders had happened and he had to make a decision about his future actions against the slaves the Ichani sent him. No, Akkarin really could not use a novice at the moment, but it had been his only possibility.

He waited to be sure she was in her room before he went up the stairs himself and entered his library. There was a large pile of letters there waiting to be read and probably answered by him, and later Lorlen would come by to discuss his choice for the new Ambassador of Elyne.

As he smelled the heavy scent of a floral perfume, he sighed. Perhaps these offers of marriage would stop for a while now, he thought humorously. No noble woman would want to live under the roof with a novice from the huts for the next four or five years. Smiling somewhat at his own thoughts, he began to sort his mail by prioritising it according to its sender. He simply threw those that smelled of perfume into a stone bowl and burned them with his magic. It was quite satisfying after so many years of refusing every marriage proposal. They should have learned by now, he thought, as he saw the flame licking the expensive paper sending black smoke into the air, which collected inside the shield he had created around the bowl. Burnt perfume did not smell very good, he knew from experience.

After his little ritual he took a deep breath and began to concentrate to get through the whole "important pile" before Lorlen would arrive. It was a pretty big pile that day.

It has been a month since the ceremony for the new novices and the guild has become used to the fact their High Lord had taken Sonea as his novice. Lorlen had watched her silently since and he wasn't very pleased with the way her classmates had welcomed her. Every time he had seen her she was all of her own or, if some of her classmates have been with her, she had been bullied by them. He had tried to talk to Akkarin about it, but the High Lord had just looked as aloof as ever, saying that her classmates would grow up soon. Lorlen wasn't sure about this, but he was not her mentor so all he could do was appearing from time to time in the corridors she was using so no one dared to be to cruel to her. He knew there was a way for her escaping Regin but he didn't know how to give her the idea of skipping a class. He had used his right as administrator to watch her progress and he was sure she was clever and skilled enough to do so.

Trying to figure out how to solve the matter he shot the door of his office behind him and set a magical lock at it. There was a meeting with an old friend he had to attend, the guilds carriage must be already waiting for him to bring him to the inner circle of Imardin. Deep in his thoughts he entered the corridor leading to the staircase, not paying his surroundings much attention, so he nearly bumped into a dripping wet novice.

"I'm sorry, Administrator", a familiar voice said.

"What have happened to you Sonea?", he asked, watching her carefully. She looked like she had taken a bath fully clothed. Maybe someone forced her to do so, he thought.

"Just my stupid classmates", she answered and pulled a face. "So I need to go and change my clothes before my next class"

"You could just dry your robe with magic", Lorlen answered. How could she have her Powers released half a year and not thinking of such a simple thing?

"I'm not allowed to use magic out of the classrooms", she answered. Lorlen giggled a bit. That wasn't a rule the novices normally abid.

"Well you are also aloud to use it if some magician told you to. I think I count as one", he answered. She gave him a bright smile.

"In this case", she answered and concentrated on her robes and notes, which started to steam fast, until they were dry again. She gave the curled papers a annoyed look. "I fear in this case no magic will help", she sighed. "But thank you nonetheless Administrator"

Lorlen smiled. Maybe this was his opportunity to give her a hint about skipping a class.

"You are very talented and strong Sonea. Maybe you could catch up with the winter novices, if you put a little effort in your studies" Confusion was written all over her face, making Lorlen smile even brighter. "You know, if you pass the final exam for this semester you could leave your current class behind entering the class above you"

It took her a moment to understand. "So if I do so, I must not see Regin and the others all day again", she mused. Then her facial features darkened. "But maybe this will change nothing. But it is useless, the High Lord surely wont allow me to do so"

Lorlen shook his head. "I'm sure he will help you if you ask him. He isn't that bad after all, you know?", he said, not sure if he was right. It seemed he wasn't knowing his best friend after all, but he wanted to encourage Sonea to make the best out of her conditions.

She gave him a doubtful look. "I will think about it carefully administrator. Thank you, again", she said. "But now I really need to go to class" She bowed and hurried away, not giving him the opportunity to answer.

Finally entering his carriage he thought about this little scene, not sure why he was so worried about this certain novice. What he felt about her was far away from just feeling guilty about getting her into trouble because of some knowledge. He just had the feeling he needed to protect her against everything. Maybe she just made people feel this way 'cause of her small appearance. Also she isn't looking starved anymore, she is a tiny and fragile appearance, he mused. And Rothen must feel it like I do. He asked himself if Akkarin could sense it too, but he just threw the thought away. If it may have been this way, he was pretty good with hiding this.


	3. Chapter 3

It was firstday and this was the day that Akkarin had dinner with his novice. Takan had asked his master about a formal two-person dinner for cooking so often that Akkarin had used the opportunity to spend some time with his novice, asking her about her progress with her studies. He knew she hated these dinners, mostly because he was there, but he didn't mind. She would learn quickly enough that he would not hurt her as long as she acted within the rules he had given her. He hoped that she would understand quickly, it wasn't pleasant to eat in such an atmosphere even if a little fear was necessary to keep her and Rothen's silence.

Akkarin put his book aside when he felt Sonea approach. She was punctual he noticed, as she has always been since she found out that he was always waiting for her to arrive, no matter what time it was. Checking Takans progress with their dinner through the blood gem link he opened the door with his magic and rose from his seat. Sonea entered and bowed whithout really looking at him.

"High Lord", she said.

"Sonea. Come upstairs, dinner is ready", he replied, motioning for her to go in front of him.

Everything went as usual, he asked her about her lessons and she answered as much as she needed but no more. But something was a little different this time, he noticed but he couldn't point it out. Takan was ready to serve the dessert when she finally looked up at him with a strange expression.

"High Lord I...", she started. "I want to catch up with the winter novices"

Akkarin was surprised at this request, but not to much. Even if she didn't tell him about her problems with the novices, he knew about them. He wasn't ignorant of his novice. In fact having one was more pleasant than he thought.

"Running away from your classmates won't solve your problem with them. Your new classmates could behave similarly too", he answered. He was sure she was aware of it but it took time to think it through properly.

"I won't know until I try," she replied and sighed. "I know that the problem will not go away, but maybe it will get better. I saw them, they are nice to each other and focus mainly on their studies."

"If you really want that you have to work pretty hard"

"I know"

He looked at her and considered her request. It would also mean a lot of work for him, but he didn't mind. He was used to working most of the time, in fact he enjoyed the distraction and exhaustion that gave him the hard work. Of course, he could organize private lessons for any subject, but it would raise suspicion. Something he really couldn't use right now.

„They expect me to give you privat lessons instead of ordering someone to do it. I can't risk raising suspicions", he said. If she was willing, he would allow her to to try. In the end it was an opportunity to make her feel more comfortable. Something like a plan started to form in his mind.

He watched her facial expressions closely, trying to figure out her thoughts. She wasn't surprised, maybe a bit afraid but above all there was something hard in her dark eyes. She was determined to do it. Yes, this was the strong girl he had seen reading her mind.

Her voice sounded strong and confident when she answered: „I've expected something like that. It won't stop me"

He smiled a little. In the end she was clever and stronger than she seemed. She was definitely worth being the High Lords Novice, even if he never had wanted one. Maybe it was destiny she discovered his secret.

„Well, I'm not going to stop you in this case. We will start tomorrow night", he answered.

Lorlen took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It swung open immediately and revealed a familiar picture: Akkarin sitting in his favourite chair, a glass of dark wine on the table, a book in his hands. When he entered the room, he noticed that someone was sitting next to the High Lord and tried to hold up a shield. Lorlen smiled a little, remembering his own problems with it. Her concentration failed when he closed the door behind him, so the shield waved first and then collapsed. She commented with an angry grimace.

"Tomorrow you will show me a Perfect shield", Akkarin said. "Practice the light version until tomorrow, you are dismissed"

"Of Course High Lord. Good night Administrator, High Lord", she responded and bowed.

"Good Night Sonea. Don't practice too long", Lorlen replied, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Good night Sonea," said the High Lord, and Lorlen was certain for a very short time that there was something warm in his eyes.

"So she finally decided to ask you", said Lorlen, taking a seat in his favourite chair across from Akkarin. His friend used his magic to pour him a glass of wine before reaching for his own.

"I should have known you gave her a hint. I was wondering where she got the information from", Akkarin answered.

"How is she doing?", Lorlen asked curiously.

"She's a quick learner, did you see how perfect her shield was before she lost her focus? We started doing this just an hour ago."

"I would have bet you wouldn't teach her yourself. It must be frightening for her"

Akkarin smiled a crooked smile.

"I warned her when she asked me to help her. She is really determined distance herself from Regin. This and her own curiosity and ambition make her overcome her fear. Actually teaching her is much more enjoyable than I thought. Maybe I won't stop giving her extra lessons", Akkarin told him. His words should calm Lorlen's suspicions, but they scared him to death. What was his best friend up to? Did he want to teach her black magic? Making her his source or worse his accomplice? He remembered staying calm. There was nothing he could do if Akkarin decided to act against Sonea, himself or the guild.

"I hope you won't teach her forbidden things", he managed to say in a calm voice as he hoped. His friend looked at him annoyed.

"I won't teach these things to anyone. It is my burden", he said. "Why don't you trust me anymore, old friend? Even if I now enjoy having Sonea as a novice, it doesn't mean that I would take her again if it wasn't necessary"

Lorlen didn't know how to answer. It was true that he no longer trusts Akkarin. In fact he had made Lord Dannyl his eyes in Elyne, hoping to get some helpful information about Akkarin, by exploring his steps abroad. But why didn't he trust him now? He knew there was a reasons for his actions, but there was something else that he was now loathing.

"You blackmailed a young girl away from someone who took care of her like a father and forced her to be alone."

"She wouldn't have a better standing with Rothen as her guardian. And I'm not going to hurt her or her loved ones if she follows the simple rules I've given her. She is smart enough to know that. But you are not here to talk about my novice, are you?"

Lorlen sighed. It was obvious that Akkarin won't speak about Sonea anymore.

"Actually I wanted you to come into the night room with me. Magicians will be curious about your novice", he answered.

"Let them talk a bit without having me around and tell me what they are talking about. I will join you next week, so they have some time to get used to the fact I am teaching her now", Akkarin answered, reaching out for the bottle to pour himself another glass of Anuren Dark.

"Well, in that case I'll leave you now and answer their questions alone," Lorlen replied, getting up. Good evening high lord "

"Good evening Lorlen"

Lorlen made his way straight from the Residenz to the night hall, preparing to answer the questions he was going to face. He never really thought Akkarin would join him tonight, but he really hoped he would. He was tired of speaking for his best friend, covering his mysterious behavior. But there was nothing he could do about it other than giving up his job, but he never would. It would feel like he was betraying his family. And the guild was his family, he realized. He never liked his house, his real family and he was glad he was accepted to the guild, where he found the best friend someone could ask for. Well, this was before Akkarin decided he needed some adventure and went to write a book about old magic to have a reason for some travels. The man who came back wasn't no longer this best friend, Lorlen realized. He was a stranger: darker, more mysterious, quieter. Lorlen shook his head. He shouldn't think about Akkarin that way. After all he was the same man he had ever loved and admired as a brother.

Taking a deep breath he pushed the thoughts about Akkarin away and entered the Nightroom, preparing himself for the obvious questions. It was a quite busy evening, nearly every seat was occupied by magicians who drank good wine and talked. He looked around, searching for the familiar figures of the Higher Magicians and when he found them he went through the nightroom. He was almost at position, when someone patted him on the shoulder.

"Administrator, could we have a word?", asked Lord Rothen, his worries written all over his face.

"Of course", Lorlen answered, giving him a smile.

"Will he ...", Rothen started, but he didn't finish his sentence. Still, Lorlen knew what he wanted to know.

"We should talk in a more private room", he decided leading the way to the day room. This wasn't a matter to be discussed between the other magicians, even he could create a sound proof barrier.

Reaching the empty room he created a light globe and turned to the alchemist.

"He assured me that he won't teach her about it. She is fine, I saw her today", he answered his question. Rothens shoulders sagged and he sighed in relief.

„I'm really scared he could harm her or worst influence her badly", he murmured.

Lorlen felt strangely offended by the alchemist's suspicions, even he shared them more or less.

"I cannot say anything to make you feel better, can I? Well, actually he shows her how to shield. She is quite good at it and it will come in handy for her", said Lorlen.

"Shielding? I suppose you are right. This Regin won't stop bullying her so shielding is a very useful thing", Rothen answered, looking less worried than before. "Thank you administrator"

They both went back to the crowded night room and Lorlen made finally his way to the Higher Magicians. Surprisingly a familiar black robed man was sitting in his preferred chair, a glass of wine in his hand, whiles listening to something Lady Vinara was saying.

"Ah, Good evening Administrator", Akkarin said when Lorlen arrived. "I've wondered where you have been"

"Good evening. Someone wanted to discuss something in private", he answered, taking a seat next to his friend, wondering why he changed his mind. Normally a 'no' from Akkarin was a 'no'.

He didn't need to wait long for an answer to his question.

"So, what do you say to the news Administrator?", Lord Sarrin, the head of Alchemy, asked. Lorlen frowned.

"You haven't heard, haven't you?", Vinara shouted in surprise, shaking her head in disbelief. "The King ordered us to test the dwell children of magic and to monitor those who have big potential"

Lorlen stared at her for a moment. "That won't work. Why did he order such things? Did you know about it?", he asked giving the High Lord a suspicious look. Why hadn't he said something about it earlier?

"The messenger came just a few minutes after your leaving. You must have seen him. And I don't know the kings thoughts but maybe I encouraged him to such an order accidentally"

The Higher Magicians gave Akkarin a suspicious and questioning look. Lorlen was as confused as the others were. Akkarin gave them a familiar half smile.

"Ah, maybe I should explain this. The King asks me about Sonea regularly. Maybe I was a bit to convincing about her abilities and strength"

That wasn't much of an explanation, but it made sense.

"We nearly didn't find your novice, High Lord. How should we find all the dwell children?", Lord Sarrin asked. "I fear this order can't be fulfilled"


	4. Chapter 4

Akkarin was annoyed. He was sitting at the court in a rich decorated room and discussing the kings orders about the dwells. It was hilarious how far away the nobles opinion was from reality.

„There aren't enough Magicians to test all the slum-children", he said with calm voice, even he didn't feel calm. The discussion went in the same circles over and over again and there was nothing he could do about this.

„So you are saying it is impossible to test them all?", the king asked.

„Yes, I think it is impossible because of many reasons"

„So the guild will disobey my orders?", Merin asked slyly.

„The guild hasn't decided yet", Akkarin replied.

The king was silent for a moment, obviously thinking about the information he got.

„I expect the guild to at least try it", he finally ordered. Akkarin sighed and was about to answer when Takans Blood Gem caught his attention. His servant was at the market, buying some supplies for their dinner. Nothing unusual so far. It took him a moment to realise, that it was what Takan has seen: His Novice. What was she doing there? She should be in the guild and learn or read or something like that. But there was no time to think about this. He ordered his servant to follow her, then he snapped his attention back to the king.

„I am sorry your majesty, there is something which needs my attention immediately. I will give your words to the guild, of course. Am I dismissed?", he said and cursed silently. Sonea forced him to be rude to the king by her silly actions. How could she leave the guild without asking permission? Everything could happen to her, especially in the slums. There was a new Sachakans Slave murdering the dwells and she was a very strong magician. She would be a welcomed victim to his enemies.

„There is another thing I wanted to discuss with you", answered the king and frowned. „It is quite important"

Akkarin calmed himself. Finally he had teached her to shield and Takan was right behind her. If something went wrong he could act. And she lived all her life in the slums without getting murdered. Why should she meet this slave now?

„Of course, your majesty, what is bothering you?", he replied. He forced himself to not check the blood gem every minute and to concentrate on the kings words.  
When the king finally dismissed him, he hurried back to the guild. His plan had been to follow her to the slums, but when he got away from the court she was already on her way back to the guild. He decided to wait for her in his guestroom and to confront her with her silly actions when she will be back.

He used the time to think about her punishment for her disobedience, but there was no satisfying solution. He put his usual glass of wine aside, when she arrived. The light was dim, but he didn't create a light globe. He often forgot about these things while thinking.

„Good evening Sonea", he said. She winced, but bowed immediately.

„High Lord"

He smiled a bit. It was time to remind her, that he wasn't just her guardian.

„How is your family? I hope they are well?", he asked. He didn't need to read her surface thoughts to know, she was frightened and confused. She pressed her lips together and raised her chin.

„As far as I know I am aloud to leave the guild grounds to meet my relatives"

He had to admit, that she had a good point.

„Nonetheless I expect you to ask my permission before doing so"

He could read in her surface thoughts, that she won't do so. He shook his head in disbelief. When had she started to disobey him so much? There were two options to ensure her obedience. He could suggest, he would do something to her relatives, but it would destroy their relationship in a way he couldn't fix. And he needed her trust for his plans with her.  
The second option was a blood gem. It was as unpleasant as the first option. Staring at her he tried to figure out another plan. Maybe a reminder would help, he could create a blood gem later, if it didn't work.

„I am sure, I do not need to remind you, why you are my novice and of the consequences of your actions against my orders"

She pressed her lips together and stared at the floor.

„Of course, High Lord", she whispered a moment later. He should have been satisfied with her new found obedience, but it was a bitter triumph.

„You are dismissed", ordered Akkarin. Suddenly he felt tired. What was he doing? Forcing a young, talented woman to be his hostage, trying to get her trust to make her his accomplice. And he was sure she would Help him once she learned his reasons. It was in her character to judge fast but also to be forgiving, intelligent and willing to be wrong. And once she would have learned the reason behind all of this she would be as loyal as he could wish. A part of him wished, he hadn't read her mind. It would be far easier to deal with all of this. He would have never figured out such plans if he didn't know about the outcome.

It was late in the evening, but Lorlen was sitting at his desk in his office, a little globe light above his head. It had been a long day and he was exhausted, but he knew he couldn't sleep, also if he tried to. There was to much going on in his mind.

First of all he worried about Sonea. She worked hard to flee her torturer, but this Regin followed her. It was impressive how much he must hate her, to do so. For the moment he was distracted by his studies, but once he was on the same level as his new class he would start again. Lorlen was sure about that, Sonea was not the first student being bullied by her classmates.

But this wasn't his main distress. There was a murderer in Imardin, murdering with black magic. Some time ago he would have asked Akkarin for help without thinking twice, but now he wasn't sure what to do. There was the slight option, that Akkarin was this murderer. On the other hand, Akkarin had told him about the sachakan assassins. Maybe this was the work of one of this assassins. He rubbed his face and sighed. Why must it be so confusing?

Suddenly he stood up and left his office, calling for Akkarin with his mind. Maybe Akkarin was the murderer, but maybe he needed to get informed about the corpses to fight these people. Lorlen shook his head. It seemed unbelievable, but Akkarins story must be true. He had told him from mind to mind, there was no possibility, that he had lied. And therefore he must inform the High Lord about the murderer. In the end there was a risk to everything done in this case and Akkarin may be a risk he could control.

Akkarin was sitting in his preferred chair, a glass of wine in his hands. He put it aside when Lorlen entered the room.

"Ah, an unusual visitor these days", Akkarin said. "Do you want some wine my friend?"

"How could I refuse such an offer?", Lorlen replied.

He seated himself while Akkarin poured him some Anuren Dark. He felt a bit like the young boy he had once been, waiting for his punishment for skipping Lord Margens class. But this was not his old teacher and this wasn't just a thing done by little boys. They were grown up now, the most powerful men of the guild. And this was a real problem.

"So what is bothering you, Lorlen?", Akkarin asked.

"There is a murderer in Imardin" His friend rose an eyebrow, but said nothing. "It seems like he is murdering with black magic"

Akkarin nodded. "I know. He is in Imardin for two weeks now, but I couldn't get my hands on him"

Lorlen didn't know how to react. He has expected Akkarin to deny this fact and now he was overwhelmed by the information he got.

"How do you know?", he finally asked.

"I have my sources for such information. What do you know about these murderer?"

Lorlen felt the urge to roll his eyes about this answer. But he resisted it and told Akkarin all he had learned this afternoon.

"The murderer is not changing tactics, these are different murderers. Every time I kill one of them a new one will come and all starts again"

Lorlen nodded. It made sense. "And what will you do now?", he asked.

"The same thing I do every time. I will find him and kill him and there will be no murders until the next assassin arrives"

"Will all this ever end? What will you do, if there is no new murderer?"

Akkarin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I do not know if this will ever end. I hope so my friend, but I fear if it ends there will be a greater danger threatening the guild. But if this will ever end I will never use black magic again. You have my word"

Lorlen felt strangely calm after these words. He believed him. He didn't know why, but he believed his former best friend to be honest with him. In the end Akkarin never truly lied about the things he did. He just never revealed the whole truth.

"I hope I will never be forced to reveal your crimes to the guild. And I hope, this will stop soon", said Lorlen.

"Me too Lorlen, me too", murmured Akkarin. A heavy silence fell between them. It wasn't the pleasant one they once shared so often. This silence was full of unspoken words. Lorlen shifted uneasy on his chair. There were so many things he wanted to ask, but none of them left his lips. It felt strange to him. Once there had been a time when he and Akkarin had shared everything. Now there was a huge gap between them and Lorlen wasn't sure if they would ever be able to overcome this gap.

When Lorlen finished his glass of wine Akkarin sat a little straighter and focused his gaze on the door next to him which led to the staircase. Just seconds later this door opened and Sonea entered the room, fully dressed with a book in her hand. She bowed.

"High Lord", she said, then she noticed him. Lorlen smiled at her. "Administrator Lorlen", she added.

"You shouldn't be reading anymore Sonea. It's late", Akkarin said in a voice, Lorlen never heard before. It was nearly soft and caring. He shook his head lightly. He must be very tired if he thought things like that. Sonea blushed a bit.

"I am sorry. I wanted to ask something about the topic we talked about earlier, I haven't noticed that you have a guest", Sonea answered. She shifted from one feet to another and everything on her was tense. It was obvious she felt uneasy under the High Lords piercing gaze.  
"Go to bed Sonea. We will talk about this tomorrow and you need the rest. The High Lords favorite isn't sleepy at the university"

She bowed again. "Of course. Good night Administrator, High Lord" She left as fast as she was approached.

"She is studying very hard", Lorlen stated. Akkarin nodded and for a moment he seemed to be proud. It was strange for Lorlen to see such emotion in his friend. Normally his emotionless mask never faded.

"She is the High Lords Novice and the first Novice from the slums. She is intelligent enough to understand the position she is in"

Lorlen said nothing, cause everything he wanted to say would break their friendship a bit more and he didn't feel like discussing the topic of her guardianship again. There was nothing he could do about this. She was his hostage, his ensurance. He pressed his lips together. There it was again, the anger he always felt when he thought about this topic. Abruptly he stood up.

"I am also tired and will leave you now", he said. Akkarin smiled a bit.

"Sleep well my friend. And if you get new information about the murders, please inform me as well. The better I know his tactics and his victims the faster I can take care of him"

"Will you ever tell me the whole truth, Akkarin?", Lorlen asked. The smile faded away.

"I will. But not now"

Lorlen left without another word. Anger was boiling inside him. Why didn't he tell him the whole story? Why was Sachaka sending assassins? Where did Akkarin learn black magic? Why had he never talked to the higher magicians about the assassins? So many questions, but the High Lord wasn't willing to answer a single one.


	5. Chapter 5

Akkarin gave Sonea a annoyed look. How got this novice always in such trouble?

"I would be pleased if we could end this as fast as possible. I do not have much time", he said. Jerrik nodded his agreement.

"Did you steel this pen, Sonea?", asked the Principal. It seemed he didn't need to ask her this question to make his decision.

"No", answered the Novice, a stubborn look in her eyes. Akkarin concentrated on her mind to read her thoughts. He needed to be sure, also he never thought she would have done such a thing. There was no need for her to steel a golden pen. On the other hand she was a slumdweller and this was enough for the most magicians to judge her.

"Then why did they found it in your case?", asked Jerrik.

"I don't know"

Akkarin felt sorry for his novice. She hadn't stolen this pen and she can't risk to accuse someone of this crime. He folded his arms before his chest and gave her a piercing look. She had to be more attentive. He had enough trouble without a novice who constantly got herself into trouble. The king asked constantly about the testing of the slumdwellers and House Maron never quit asking him about Lord Fergun. Not to forget the assassin which was in town now far to long. The thieve got him two times and to times he managed to escape Akkarins attacks. Lorlen told him, that there were far more victims now and that meant, that the slave got far to mighty for Akkarins liking. He only had Takan to strengthen himself.

Jerrik continued to ask Sonea the same questions over and over again, to which she always gave the same answers. Finally Akkarin had enough of this.

"We will not get anywhere like this. My novice has classes that she should not miss and I have important appointments in the city. I will punish Sonea. Are you satisfied with that, Principal Jerrik?"

The principal nodded and Akkarin motioned his novice to leave with him. He already knew, what her punishment would be. Lorlen told him, that the Librarian asked for help.

"You will Help Lady Tya in the library after your classes for the next three weeks", he told her, when they reached her classroom. She bowed and then looked up to him, just for a moment.

"I wanted to visit my family", she said. He could nearly feel, how much courage she needed for this simple words. He gave her a small smile.

"We will see in three weeks. My Novice doesn't get herself into such trouble and she always protects herself and her belongings", he answered. He didn't need to tell her more. She was clever enough to understand, that his yes to her request depended on herself. She bowed again.

"Thank you, High Lord", she said. "I will go to my class now"

"Don't forget Lady Tya. I await your report tonight"

He left her without making sure she attended her class. She wouldn't disobey in this matter.

The three weeks flew by. Sonea helped Lady Tya in the library every evening and Akkarin was waiting for her in the reception room of the residence every evening afterwards. He assured the king that the guild was working to test the hut people. He had put the matter in Lorlen's hands, who in turn was pursuing Lady Vinara's idea of a hospital in the hut quarters. Akkarin supported this; the guild had thought only of itself and the houses for long enough. A hospital would not only help the hut people, they would also be able to test the children in a relaxed manner. On his next visit to the king's court, he wanted to present Merin with the plans, which had meanwhile become extremely mature.

Only the slave still caused Akkarin headaches and sleepless nights. Although the thieves worked extremely efficiently, Akkarin still hadn't been able to catch him. Nevertheless, the High Lord allowed Sonea to visit her family on the condition that she wore his blood jewel. The stone would allow him to keep an eye on her and, if necessary, he knew exactly where she was.

While Sonea spent time with her family, Akkarin sought out Lorlen, who, as always, could be found in his study and answered letters, as it seemed. When the High Lord entered the room, the administrator seemed to be completely irritated for a short moment, then he slipped one letter under another almost by chance. But the High Lord knew his friend better, Lorlen was nervous and usually the administrator left all the papers as they were.

"What a surprise. What can I do for you," Lorlen asked politely and came out from behind his desk. "Would you like some wine?"

Akkarin sat relaxed on one of the two chairs and pretended not to notice his friend's strange behavior.

"How could I say no to that?" he remarked. "I have the king's permission to build the hospital in the hut quarters."

Lorlen gave him one of the two wine glasses and retired behind his desk where he put the glass down and then sorted his mail.

"So quickly?" he asked in surprise.

"The king seemed quite open to my arguments"

Lorlen laughed softly. "You kept bugging him until he said yes, didn't you?"

Akkarin shook his head in amusement. "Do you really think I need this?"

Lorlen got serious again. "No, I don't think so. Did he say anything about where the hospital would be built?"

"He will have more information on that in the next few days."

After that they chatted about some gossip, like they always had done before the whole Sonea-thing and Akkarin was nearly feeling relaxed, when the blood gem caught his attention. Abruptly he sat up in his chair and would have spilt his wine over his robes if he hadn't emptied it a moment before. Sonea was in really serious trouble, live threatening trouble.

"I need to leave", he told Lorlen and ignored his friend's protest and questions about his sudden departure. This was to bad to lose time with conversation. He needed to reach the slums as fast as possible. Soneas fear, projected into his own mind threw the blood gem connection, was overwhelming. Maybe it also was his own fear, he wasn't able to differ between her feelings and his own anymore. Nevertheless he forced himself to push her into a corner of his mind and to concentrate on helping her, while he ran threw the tunnels under the university. It was impressive how fast Sonea adapted to the situation.

\- Sonea, save your power he commanded her actions. She shielded herself but didn't strike herself, also she knew how. He could see in her surface thoughts, that she waited for him to get tired. Don't waste your magic with just shielding, this man is far more powerful than you. He is a black magician

Her panic was overwhelming and Akkarin cursed himself. Panic wasn't helpful at all.

\- Sonea! Concentrate! Attack him with low energy stun strikes to find his weakness, he instructed her.

She didn't answer, but calmed herself and followed his instructions. The slave was obviously irritated by her action. Akkarin smiled. Maybe he was inexperienced enough and Sonea had a chance to attack him long enough. To Akkarins satisfaction Sonea used the weak points in the slaves shield to attack him with more powerful strikes, but she couldn't break his defense with it. But she forced him to use more magic than before to protect himself.

\- I'm on my way, where are you exactly? Akkarin asked her. She named a shabby tavern she passed just a few moments before she got attacked. Akkarin knew it, he had been there often before he hired someone to find the sachakan spies. He cursed, it was to far.

\- How much energy do you have left? She showed him her rapidly dwindling supplies and he cursed again. He wouldn't be there fast enough. He shouldn't have allow her to leave. But he wasn't ready to give up hope. He couldn't let her die this way for so many reasons.

In the meantime he had reached the thieves road and followed his guide to the next exit. Maybe he would be faster, if he stayed in the tunnels until he was near to Soneas place. He stopped and instructed his guide about the new plans. Gladly he had made this deal with soneas friend, on his own he would have been lost. He followed the young boy and concentrated on the battle again.

\- Save some energy for healing. If he cuts you, you must heal yourself immediately, he ordered. He could sense her confusion, but in the next moment her shield waved under an unexpected strong strike. The slave smiled an ugly smile and intensified his efforts. Akkarin forced the boy to walk faster. Sonea wouldn't stand this any longer.

They were near the exit, when soneas shield finally collapsed. Akkarin gasped in horror. He had been to slow. Sonea would die, drowned of her magic and everything he had done the last years to protect the guild would go to hell. That was the end of everything he loved. He didn't wanted to see and feel how his novice died, but he had to. It was his responsibility. He owed her to not let her die alone.

He got out of the tunnels two streets away from Soneas location. The slave was at her side now and pressed his hands on her temples. Sonea did everything to irritate him, like she did before, when Akkarin read her thoughts. In the same moment she concentrated on her power and did something very unexpected - she squeezed his heart with her magic until he died. Akkarin didn't knew where she learned this, her healing skills should have been very basically, nor how she protected the plan from being shown in her mind. But he knew he wouldn't be there fast enough to save her from the magical explosion that would come.

\- Sonea! he cried to get her attention. She was panicking again, trying to understand that she was now a murderess. Get away there! The same moment he realized she couldn't get away fast enough. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. There was just one solution and it would destroy everything he had sworn himself before. But letting all this people die wasn't an option. He braced himself.

\- Sonea. You need to do exakt what I tell you, do you understand? And you need to do it fast, otherwise many people will die tonight. He could sense her approval. Take his knife and cut him until you can see blood

\- No, answered Sonea when she realized what he was going to tell her.

\- Do it or otherwise you will die with him. I am not fast enough. She did as he said and he took a deep breath in relief. He was nearly at her side, nevertheless he showed her how to drown energy from another person and to store in her own body. She was incredibly good at it. When she finally let go of the corpse there was no magic left and she nearly got it all into her own source.

"Sonea, get up", he commanded as he finally approached. She was kneeling on the ground besides the corpse, staring at her own hands. "We need to get away from here, everyone can see that we are magicians"

She looked up and he nearly backed away from the terror in her eyes. He held out a hand to her. "We can talk about this later Sonea"

She ignored his helping hand and stood up. He could see her hands shaking, the bloody knife tightly clutched. He took it away from her and then smashed the red stone at the spies Hand with it. Afterwards he led her to the thieves passage. Cery would take care of the corpse like he did since half a year. Sonea wasn't saying a word until they reached the underground room in his residence, there she looked him in the eyes for the very first time.

"You forced me to lern black magic", she accused him in an angry voice.

"Yes, I did. And I am very sorry, but it was the only chance for you to survive", he tried to explain. He hoped it was a good sign that she was mad at him now. He didn't know how to help a traumatized young woman. And her getting mad was the last thing he needed right now.

"Why", she asked. Nothing more, just this word. It surprised him and he wasn't sure what to say.

"Because it was necessary. This man would have destroyed everything around him"

"Why was he attacking me?"

"Thats a very long story, starting with a dumb young magician. But nothing to tell in an underground room with blood on your hands. Takan will bring you some water and then we will meet in the library", he answered. "But first give me your ring"

"Fine", she said and obeyed his orders.


	6. Chapter 6

Uneasily, Akkarin groped his finger against the wine glass in his hand as he thought about what he could tell Sonea. He knew he couldn't fool her with the same story he had told Lorlen, but at the same time he was deeply reluctant to reveal his past to her.

"I could use your advice," Akkarin finally turned to the only person who knew his entire story, via his blood jewel.

"She could be a strong ally, Master," came the prompt reply of his servant. Akkarin had already informed Takan on the way home about what had happened.

"She would be an equally dangerous enemy. I cannot simply get her out of my way"

"You said she is intelligent and has a strong sense of justice. Tell her your story, she will understand you best of all the people in the guild, Master".

Akkarin withdrew from the thoughts of his servant when Sonea entered the library. She looked less pale, as she had looked a few minutes earlier, and she had not only washed herself but also put on a fresh robe.

"Sit down", he asked her, still deeply lost in thought. Silently, she did what he asked her to do. Her courage seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden. To gain a little time, Akkarin rose to pour a glass of wine for Sonea as well and handed it to her before he sat down opposite her. Should he follow Takan's advice? Everything in him was reluctant to reveal his faults. To admit his guilt. Silently, Akkarin looked at the girl before him. She did not look like someone who had just killed for the first time. And yet she reminded him a little of himself, kneeling over the corpse of his master, disgusted and repulsive to himself. How happy he had been to be rid of him. How he had fled instead of continuing to occupy himself with his deeds, because it was the right thing to do.

Determined Akkarin sat down a little straighter. Sonea deserved to know who had attacked her and that she had not killed for pure self-interest. And maybe Takan was right. Maybe he could win her as an ally, just different from what his original plan had intended.

"Well, I think you have some questions. But first I want to explain who this man was and why he was in Imardin. But to do that I must explain to you a little about my past," he began, waiting for her nod before continuing.

"When I travelled to Elyne at the time to explore ancient magic, I found several clues that I followed. The last of these clues eventually led me to Sachaka. There I met a trader who invited me to dinner. I assumed, what could happen to me? I was the strongest magician of my year and one of the strongest of the guild," Akkarin began his story without looking at Sonea any further. If the first words had been difficult for him, his story now gushed out of him. In a certain way it was liberating to finally tell someone about his guilt, about his secret. It was as if someone was taking a burden off his shoulders that he had not even noticed before.

"The merchant turned out to be Ichani, an outcast from society, as I was to learn later. He attacked me and defeated me in the twinkling of an eye. Only when he read my thoughts against my will and was very interested in 'higher magic' and mocked me when he realized that the guild condemned this magic as black magic, I realized that he was a black magician himself. Dakova, that was his name, made me his slave and every night he took my magic and read my thoughts" Akkarin stopped briefly to collect himself. The shame of his helplessness still cut off his throat and evoked the old hatred for his master.

"Dakova was a cruel master. He punished my escape attempts the hardest and when he discovered a feeling for the woman who showed me everything and taught me sachakan, he began to punish her for my offenses. She was his bed slave." He did not know why he told her this, it was none of her business. And yet it was part of his story. "She finally died five years after my capture by Dakova. He fought another outcast and killed his slaves one by one when he ran out of magic. Only I and Takan remained. Dakova fled weakened to his brother with whom he had a contract: If one of the brothers was killed by another Ichani, they would avenge each other. This protected both of them from unwelcome attacks, for both were quite powerful" Akkarin paused again for a moment to collect himself. The grief for his lost love was still as intense as on the first day. Only that he usually avoided thinking about her.

"Shortly after this battle, Dakova learned that his arch-enemy had also fled weakened to an old mine. Instead of listening to his brother, he took me, Takan and some of his brother's slaves with him and pursued his adversary to destroy him. But when we arrived there was nobody left and so Dakova sent us out to explore the mine. I fell into a hole and found myself facing the enemy Ichani. But instead of killing me he offered me a deal: He would teach me black magic and I would kill Dakova for it. At that time I did not have to think long to say yes. After five years as Dakova's slave I had given up my dream of ever reaching the guild alive again. So in this very night I killed the slaves of his brother Kariko and finally him and fled. Takan followed me and against all expectations we made it back to the guild where I tried to forget everything. But then the High Lord died and Lord Balkan nominated me as his successor because the journey had matured me. At first I wanted to refuse, but then I realised that Kariko still wanted revenge and that as High Lord I would be more able to defeat him than as a simple warrior. Shortly afterwards it turned out that I was right, because ever since then Kariko sends former slaves to whom he promises freedom if they kill me. The man who attacked you was one of them"

Silently Sonea stared at him. She hadn't interrupted him once, although she certainly had many questions. "You are a good listener, Sonea," he remarked. Silently, he added that he was glad that she did not condemn him for his past. Her gaze was neutral, seeing at most a glimmer of empathy in it. It relieved him in an unexpected way that she did not seem to judge his story in any way.

"How do I know that this is true?" Sonea asked him to challenge him, after another moment of silence.

"You will have to trust me to tell you the truth"

Sonea was silent again. When Akkarin began to be disturbed by the silence he usually preferred, he sent her to her room. She needed time to understand the events and see them in the right light. He hoped she would draw the right conclusions. If not, he had to prove to her that he had told the truth. Because if she didn't believe him, this could have unpleasant consequences for him and Kyralia.

When Takan told him that Lorlen was waiting for him in the reception room, Akkarin was startled from his thoughts. He was still sitting in the library, trying to figure out how to proceed with Sonea. It was obvious that she still deeply distrusted him and especially black magic. But circumstances required that he taught her even more himself now. To learn some techniques required a direct contact from mind to mind, a risk Sonea could not take anymore. He also urgently needed to teach her to give him her strength. He could feel the power emanating from her much too strongly, but he had not wanted to disturb her in her thoughts.

The soft morning light that fell into the room told him that he had failed to sleep again. Tired, he rose from his armchair and magically banished the worst effects of sleep deprivation. He had had some practice at this. Perhaps he could sleep for a few more hours later, after he had intercepted his novice to teach her to hide her magically enhanced aura. Quickly he gave Takan the necessary instructions while he tied his hair neatly on the way to the reception room.

Lorlen stood with his back to him in front of the small cupboard where Akkarin always kept glasses, a few bottles of anurenic dark wine and a wine set, and inspected the objects on top of them as if he didn't know them already.

"Lorlen, my friend. To what do I owe this honour", Akkarin asked. "Please sit down"

"Good morning High Lord", Lorlen greeted him formally and acted upon the request. "I wanted to inquire if you need any help with your problem from last night?"

"Ah, I'm getting along fine with my novice on my own. Even though she seems to have a great talent for getting herself into trouble," he answered the question. Why couldn't Lorlen let it go? Akkarin studied intensively the facial features of the administrator, who could not resist his gaze for long. He looked tired, dark circles adorned his eyes and he was even paler than usual. Lost in thought, Akkarin gave Takan the instructions to bring them fresh Sumi, presumably they both could use it.

"I hope she didn't get herself into too much trouble yesterday," Lorlen tried to find out more.

Akkarin raised one eyebrow while scolding himself for his mistake. If there was one thing you could rely on with Lorlen, it was his curiosity and his unfailing tendency to stick his nose into things that were none of his business. In this case, an extremely annoying habit that Akkarin had challenged. Now he was forced to tell Lorlen a half-truth once again.

"Nothing I couldn't fix," Akkarin explained softly, although he was not so sure. He had thought through some scenarios during the night, trying to consider all eventualities, but no variant was ideal. The fact was that he should never have taught her to use black magic. And even less should he have allowed her to enter the quarters of the huts as long as one of Kariko's men was hanging around there. But it had happened and now he had to make the best of it.

Takan saved him from being cross-examined by Lorlen by bringing the Sumi he wanted and telling him that Sonea was now awake and would wait for him in the library after breakfast.

Lorlen looked at him questioningly as Takan left the room. Instead of giving him an answer to the unspoken question, he cooled his cup to a comfortable temperature and took a sip. Unwillingly, he was forced to remember that as Dakova's slave he had not been able to do so. His master had forbidden him to use his magic and after some very painful punishments he finally did so.  
Instead of pressuring him, Lorlen kept his mouth shut.

"I must now deal with the chaos my novice left behind," he explained as they both drank up. He twisted the corners of his mouth into a half-smile. "Don't worry Lorlen, I won't hurt her"

Lorlen pressed his lips together angrily. "Of course not", he forced himself to say and then said goodbye stiffly. Concerned, Akkarin watched the administrator. He would certainly not let up to find out what had happened. And he would keep an even closer eye on Sonea than he already did anyway. Not a pleasant prospect for the High Lord.


	7. Chapter 7

Ignoring Sonea, Akkarin entered his library and went to the shelf with the hidden mechanism. There he kept books that he was not supposed to own and yet he did. Practised, he loosened the lock and took out a small, well-read but nevertheless well-preserved book and locked the mechanism again. Only then did he greet his novice, who stared challengingly at him.

'Sonea'

She bowed stiffly and a little unwillingly. 'High Lord'

'You must learn to conceal your magic. Everyone can sense your power' he got to the point without mincing words. He had no nerve for pleasantries after his sleepless night and his conversation with Lorlen.

Sonea frowned unwillingly. 'I'd rather get rid of this magic than hide it,' she admitted. Surprised, Akkarin raised an eyebrow. He had not expected to receive such an honest answer.

'I can show you how to transfer your power to another mage. Normally you learn that in your second year, but I think we can make an exception,' he agreed. 'Nevertheless, I will show you how to conceal extra magic. Do you remember how you learned to conceal your aura?' She had learned that skill early on, making it difficult to catch her. To Akkarin's satisfaction, his novice nodded. 'Good, then strengthen this magical barrier you created back then.'

She frowned intently, as she always did, and after a moment the aura of power was gone as if it had never existed. Akkarin gave her a thin smile. 'Good. Now give me your hand.'

Staring at him with wide eyes, Akkarin had to suppress an annoyed groan. Apparently she had gone back to fearing him. 'I will not harm you'

The fear gave way to a dark sparkle that impressed Akkarin in a way. That fire had been the reason why he had made her his novice instead of coming up with another solution to the problem. 'I hardly think you can do anything more to me than teach me black magic against my will, force me to kill a man in self-defence and then give me a flimsy story about slave drivers in Sachaka, High Lord,' she hissed. Her eyes narrowed to slits. 'At least now I know how to defeat you'.

'Don't think you stand a chance against me Sonea. You are a rebellious, untrained novice. I have mastered magic for many years and am skilled in defeating black mages. Believe me or don't believe me. It doesn't matter' he instructed her coolly. 'So, either you want to give me the spy's magic or you use it up in class. You are intelligent enough not to show anyone how much power you have right now, I hope'

Sonea gave him another bitter look and seemed to wrestle seriously with herself for a moment, then sighed and held out her small, slender hand to him. Akkarin took it, once again surprised to find that her hands almost disappeared in his. Her touch felt unexpectedly good and that confused him. Nevertheless, he concentrated on his lesson. 'You must send me your power in a steady stream. A little like you want to heal me.'

Seeing her confused look, he used the skin contact to send her a vision of what he meant. At first it was difficult for any novice to understand, but once you got the hang of it, it was the easiest thing in the world. In his time as a slave, Akkarin had found that it felt a lot like having your power taken away from you, except that you were in control of it yourself. Of course, the High Lord could have done without teaching Sonea how to send magic, but he wanted to spare her the feeling of oppression and the resulting resentment that came with using black magic.

With his guidance, Sonea quickly understood what was involved. At first, her magic stream was too strong and erratic, making it difficult for him to store it in his own reserves, but after he pointed it out, she adjusted better. When he felt her exhausting herself, he withdrew his hand from her. 'Enough Sonea, you have given me more than you should'.

Surprised, she looked up at him. All at once she looked exhausted. Her skin was a sickly grey and there were deep shadows under her eyes. Following an impulse, he put a hand on her shoulder and sent her some healing magic to dispel her fatigue. She stiffened under his grip, but she let him.

'Sit down, Sonea. I have informed Lord Elben that I will teach you at first lesson'.

His novice narrowed her eyes and complied with his request. The High Lord sat down too, while he ordered Takan to bring him Sumi and for his novice Raka. They were both in dire need of it.

'First, I want to give you something to read. It is important that this book does not leave the library and that you treat it with care. It is very old and I have not had time to make a copy,' he explained, handing her Lord Loren's diary. Sonea's eyes widened as she recognised the name. 'Lord Loren has discovered how to shape stones. You will learn how in your second year.'

He could see that she was immensely interested but at least equally confused. He pointed to the book in her hands. 'I want you to read this book and report back to me afterwards what you have learned from it'

'Yes, High Lord,' she obediently agreed with him.

'But before I leave you to your book, you must answer me one question. How exactly did you kill the slave, and how did you conceal your thoughts? I thought it impossible until yesterday to conceal one's thoughts in a mind reading'

Sonea stared at the book in her hands for quite a while before answering. 'When we were learning how healing magic worked it occurred to me that you could' she broke off and raised her head to look him in the eye. 'Well, I thought it could be used to kill you'.

For a moment Akkarin was speechless. But before he could reply, Sonea continued. 'I thought of it as a last resort, because I knew that if I did that I would die too. And so far you have not harmed the guild, so why kill you?'

Well, well, thought Akkarin. At least she realised that I might not be as evil as Lorlen and Rothen think. It surprised him that she had come to this realisation and at the same time it pleased him. He nodded. 'And how did you hide your intentions?'

Sonea looked back at the book in her hands. 'I have not hidden it. I merely tried to think of many other things at the same time.'

The pride Akkarin felt at this surprised himself. His novice might be prejudiced, disobedient and annoying. But she was also clever, cunning and strong. Still, he didn't let her sense his feelings. Especially now that she was more powerful than any other guild mage except himself, it was important that she didn't let that power and intelligence go to her head.

'You have saved the guild from a grave fate with this Sonea. I thank you for not giving information to our enemies. Now read, I too have work to do.'

Takan chose that exact moment to enter the library with two steaming mugs and a plate of pastries.

'Thank you Takan, set it down on the table' Akkarin ordered. Next to the food, he could see a pile of letters. Yes, he truly had a lot to do. Without paying any further attention to his novice, he took his cup and his correspondences and with them retreated to his desk at the other end of the room.

With a soft sigh, Lorlen dropped into his chair and dimmed his ball of light to a cosier glow. It had once again been a long, tiring day. On top of his daily duties and the extra work resulting from the new hospital, he hadn't even had time to read Lord Dannyl's latest report.

Lorlen closed his eyes briefly and drove away the rising headache with a little magic before he pulled the letter from the pocket of his robe. Full of suspense, he studied the report and finally let himself sink back in disappointment. Dannyl had found out absolutely nothing useful. Nothing that Lorlen could use to force Akkarin to finally tell him the whole truth.

As much as Lorlen believed what his friend had explained to him via thought-speech, he was sure that Akkarin had also concealed a lot from him. How had Akkarin learned black magic? And where? Lorlen was sure it had to do with his journey, from which he had come back so changed. Since he knew that his best friend was a black magician, he saw the changes he had undergone with completely different eyes. He had not suddenly become mature and grown up because he had become acquainted with many different cultures. Akkarin had always had a certain natural charisma, but since his return he had added something else that he radiated: power. And that made him seem older, more mature.

Would Akkarin have used this power against his novice? Since the incident when Akkarin had simply disappeared, Lorlen had only met Sonea once or twice in the university corridors. Each time she had appeared unnaturally pale and sleepy. He had tried to ask her if everything was all right, but she had never been alone and she also seemed to avoid him.

Meticulously, Lorlen folded the letter again and stowed it in a small box, which he levitated to himself from a corner of his premises and which he then magically sealed. Since Akkarin had found him in his office with one of Dannyl's letters, Lorlen kept the correspondence in his private chambers. The administrator did not want Akkarin to suspect anything about his investigations.

Shaking his head, Lorlen rose and stepped to his window, from which he could see the residence at the edge of the forest. When exactly had he begun to distrust Akkarin so much? Had it been when he had learned of his betrayal? Or had it started earlier? When Akkarin had come back, ragged, haggard and more tight-lipped than a magically secured chest? Lorlen did not know. He only knew that he was torn between friendship and brotherly affection for the High Lord and his abysmal distrust.

Lorlen could see that the light was still lit in Sonea's room. Yet it was late, shouldn't she be asleep by now? Old familiar feelings of guilt arose in him. She shouldn't be in this lonely, dark house with a man who frightened her and held her hostage. She should be with the man who loved her as if she were his daughter and who would have given anything to be allowed to train her.

As always when he thought about it, resentment rose in him. No, it was not his fault that Akkarin had become a ruthless black magician who did not even stop at little, frightened girls. He had thought he was turning to the man who rarely followed rules but had always been fundamentally decent and honest. Instead, he had to realise that his best friend had mutated into a conscienceless monster at some point over the last few years. He clenched his hands into fists, his fingernails digging painfully into his palms.

'No, Akkarin is not a monster,' he said half aloud to himself and then laughed a low, eerie laugh. Now I'm talking to myself already, he thought incredulously and closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against the cool window glass. Yet he was right. If Akkarin were a monster, he would have had the opportunity to make Sonea, him or Rothen disappear or otherwise harm them long ago.

Lorlen realised that in truth he was mostly offended by how little Akkarin trusted him. That he had left him out of it, as with so many things in recent years. Sighing, he turned away from his window and made his way to his bed. He was sure that he would once again spend the whole night brooding over these things without coming to any conclusion, as he had been doing for months.


End file.
